Autowirez Blog

DVLA New Vehicle Registration Number Guide

DVLA new car/vehicle registration number format. System introduced on September 2001.

In September 2001, the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) changed the format to not only establish the year of the vehicle, but to also display the area in which it was originally registered.

The biggest change with the new vehicle registrations was to go from yearly issues to every six months. The new system would then see two new vehicle registration/age identifiers each year.

In 1999, prior to the introduction of the new system, the DVLA were forced to run the remaining six registration numbers (S, T, V, W, X and Y) over a three year period with a new registration every six months. This was to use the up the remaining letters of the alphabet to start the new system on the first letter - “A” - for those who don’t know:).

Unlike the old system where most of the registration comprised of random letters and numbers, the new system shows more specific details about the vehicle.

First Two Characters
The first two characters from left to right indicate “Area Code” for the DVLA office where the vehicle was initially registered new. The following chart shows all the current available area codes for vehicle registrations in use today.

AA - AN = Peterborough
AO - AU = Norwich
AV - AY = Ipswich
BA - BY = Birmingham (see illustration)
CA - CO = Cardiff
CP - CV = Swansea
CW - CY = Bangor
DA - DK = Chester
DL - DY = Shrewsbury
EA - EY = Chelmsford
FA - FB = Nottingham
FR - FY = Lincoln
GA - GO = Maidstone
GP - GY = Brighton
HA - HJ = Bournemouth
HK - HV, HX and HY = Portsmouth
HW = Isle of White
KA - KL = Luton
KM - KY = Northampton
LA - LJ = Wimbledon
LK - KT = Stanmore
LU - LY = Sidcup
MA - MY = Manchester
NA - NO = Newcastle
NP - NY = Stockton
OA - OY = Oxford
PA - PT = Preston
PU - PY = Carlisle
RA - RY = Reading
SA - SJ = Glasgow
SK - SO = Edinburgh
SP - ST = Dundee
SU - SW = Aberdeen
SX - SY = Inverness
VA - VY = Worcester
WA - WJ = Exeter
WK - WL = Truro
WM - WY = Bristol
XA - XY = VAT Free / Exported Vehicles
YA - YK = Leeds
YL - YU = Sheffield
YV - YY = Beverley

The characters I, J, Q, T, U and Z are only used in special circumstances.

Third Character (Age Identifier)
The third character from left to right is the month of the year it was registered. The only two numbers used are a “0″ and a “5″ referring to March or September. We can see by the image above, the vehicle was registered around September.

Fourth Character (Age Identifier)
The fourth character from the left is the year of registration part of the age identifier. The above image shows the vehicle was registered in 2001.

Last Three Characters
The remaining three numbers grouped at the end of the registration are random.

Did you know the DVLA prevent the issue of registrations where the last three characters on the new or old system make up a word that may be seen as defamitory, insulting, rude etc? I suspect that is why we never see the word CAT, DOG, BUM, GOD, GUN… OK, I’m sure you all get the message. I have thought of better words but obviously have to be careful:).

Do you prefer the old system? Do you find the new system confusing? Let me know your thoughts on the new system in the comments below.

Hope this has described the new system as easy to understand.

Electric Bikes Sales Rise With Fuel Prices

Ezee Forza electric powered bike

2008 has been a tough year for motorists with the recent hike in fuel prices.

The UK government has spent years trying to get motorists out of their cars and onto public transport. For some motorists, this is just not feasible however, some have resorted to the pedal cycle.

For those who have spent too many years behind the wheel, getting on a bike can seem daunting, until you add a motor to help you along.

The UK has seen a steady increase in electric bike sales as one of the worlds largest user base. As many new and more attractive models become available with battery technology moving forward, the future of the electric bike looks sweet.

Although prices of electric cycles are still a little high, they are coming down, with some budget models available from £300. For the serious biker, lightweight, quality bikes with powerful motors and sophisticated battery saving technology can be had for anything from £5,000 and up. Expect the average bike to set you back around £500 - £600 such as the Synergie Mistral, my personal favourite.

In addition to the electric bike, car drivers who passed their driving test before 2001 automagically have full moped entitlement. Mopeds are another area to get excited about with chinese imported motorcycles now available on the net for the small sum of £500 new.

Baotian Tanco - 49cc 4 Stroke Scooter

These are not your old 49cc Thomas bike, no!! These are 4 stroke (no mixing oil/petrol 2 stroke mess), 49cc single cyclinder bikes with electronic ignition (CDI), electric start and alarm/immobiliser to boot. Better still, these scooters don’t even look like mopeds, they look more akin to full size road bikes, with the exception of the step-through design.

In my opinion, the Baotian Tanco looks quite nice and I wouldn’t feel too stupid riding it, hence why I went out and bought one - Marshy’s Motorcycles.

Not only are these bikes very competitively priced against european makers such as Peugeot etc, they are also very reliable. Parts are also readily available and reasonably priced. Fuel economy obviously plays part to their success, with up to 130mpg, giving the two-finger salute to the fuel price hike.

I’m not a betting man but if fuel prices continue to rise above inflation, this new “two-wheel-trend” is sure to continue.

Meguiar’s NXT Generation Wax/Polish Review

Being a long-term AutoGlym user, I was a little reluctant to change and try out the Meguiar’s range of products. The product I purchased was the Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 which boasts their new Hydrophobic Polymer Technology™.

After washing and drying the car with a chamois leather, I started applying the Meguiar’s wax from the bottle. The wax was very easy to apply and once buffed, revealed a very high gloss shine.

Two weeks after waxing the car, I rinsed off the worst of the muck with a cold water hose to help prevent scratching the paintwork when washing. With the car rinsed, the gloss from the Meguiar’s polish was still visible with water beads forming, even after 2 weeks of rain.

I was quite surprised at the durability of this product and have decided to continue using the NXT Tech Wax for the time being to give me more time to test the durability of the product further.

Formula 1 Going Green By Switching To Ethanol?

Formula 1, widely considered the pinnacle of automotive engineering but woefully behind in environmentalism, is reportedly considering a switch to ethanol.

The move comes as the sport faces increasing pressure from Max Mosley, the beleaguered president of F1’s sanctioning body, to make its cars more energy-efficient and the engineering behind them more relevant to road cars. Given the stratospheric amounts of fossil fuels the sport’s 10 teams consume, Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone - who controls F1’s business affairs - realize Formula 1 is a target ripe for attack by environmentalists and regulators.

This year, at least 5.75 percent of the fuel burned by F1 cars be renewable, and next year will see the adoption of kinetic energy recovery systems to capture energy generated by the cars’ tremendous braking forces.

Now comes word the sport may switch to ethanol.

“Bernie last year contacted the No. 1 group for ethanol in Brazil,” two-time champion Emerson Fittipaldi told the Arizona Republic. “I’m sure a lot of other (racing) categories in the world are going to follow Indianapolis.”

That isn’t a lot to go on, and Fittipaldi may not be the most objective source - the Brazilian is building a refinery and grows sugar cane for use as fuel. But the Indy Racing League, which includes the legendary Indianapolis 500, has been running 100 percent ethanol ~~for years~~ since the 2007 season and General Motors is pushing NASCAR to do the same. Several teams in the American Le Mans Series run on cellulosic E85, and the Audi R10 that Audi Sport Team Joest will race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans next weekend will be fueled in part by biodiesel.

It’s about time F1 cleaned up its act.

Source: Wired - Utopia

Mechaphillia - TLC Tender Loving Car Care?

I was shocked to discover a new form of sexual fantasy on YouTube today - Mechaphilia. A Mechaphile is someone who has sexual fantasies about cars and/or acts them out. TLC - Tender Loving Car care taken to a new level eh?

Please be aware that the following video may not be suitable for minors.

Although this term appears to be legitimate, I have yet to find any references to the word in any dictionary. Here is Edward Smith, a Mechaphile from Washington, US. Mr Smith is one of the worlds more extreme cases of Mechaphilia who claims to have had sex with over 1000 cars, many of which belong to strangers or parked in car showrooms.

I try to keep an open mind but I cannot help but wonder if there is an alternative motive to this “Mental Disorder”. The few people that have claimed to have this condition, have received a fair bit of media attention with coverage from UK Channel Five, YouTube, newspapers, magazines and various websites.

What do you think?

2008 Subaru Impreza WRC Specs Revealed

Auto news website Motor Authority have unveiled specs on the new 2008 model of the Subaru Impreza WRC which packs an impressive 300bhp.

Subaru has unveiled its new generation AWD Impreza World Rally Car a week ahead of its motorsport debut at the Acropolis Rally in Greece on the 29th. For the first time, the Subaru World Rally Team (SWRT) will use a hatchback design as well as its new blue and silver (as opposed to yellow) color scheme for the race car.

The car features a longer 2,635mm wheelbase with shorter front and rear overhangs than the previous model, and in line with its hatchback design the rear wing is fitted to the tailgate. Power comes from the familiar turbocharged 2.0L horizontally opposed four-cylinder boxer engine and peaks at 224kW (300hp). Torque from the turbo mill is abundant at 650Nm.

The transmission is a six-speed sequential electro-hydraulic unit, and the center differential gets electro-hydraulic control as well for on-the-fly adjustments to drive bias for the tough traction requirements of professional rally racing. Front and rear MacPherson strut suspension provides durability and solid handling.

AP Racing brakes measuring 310mm for off-road courses and 378mm for tarmac use are clamped by six-pot calipers for plenty of stopping power. Wheels are BBS brand, with 18-inch rims specified for tarmac races and smaller 15-inch rims for gravel races that require taller tires.

The car’s weight is capped at the 1,230kg (2,706lb) minimum per WRC rules.

The SWRT has won the World Rally Manufacturers’ Championship in 1995, 1996 and 1997, and the Driver’s Championship in 1995, 2001 and 2003. This year’s drivers include Australia’s Chris Atkinson and Norwegian Petter Solberg.

Source: Motor Authority

Nissan Begins Testing Drunk Proof Car

On August 1st, Nissan Japan will begin joint testing with authorities on a new system which prevents drivers from starting their cars if they’ve been drinking.

The technology, which we mentioned back in 2006, can disable the vehicle’s ignition after analyzing a driver’s level of intoxication using an onboard breathalyzer. The tests will take place with cars used by local government staff in a variety of Prefectures around Japan, utilizing the opinions of the drivers to further develop the system. The company recently added a “Carwings” navigation system to its vehicles, which issues warnings to drivers under the influence, and the automaker hopes that technologies such as these could halve the number of serious accidents involving Nissan vehicles by 2015.

Source: Engadget

Danger Of Car Washing With Sponge

After checking some search terms used to find the Autowirez blog I see that many people are using “Car Washing Tips” in google to find us. After a search on Google I find we are first place along side an absolutely brilliant article on the dangers of scratches from washing your car with a sponge. They recommend you use a woollen wash mitt as opposed to a sponge.

In my opinion, this does actually make sense given that the woollen wash mitt has a really loose, soft pile that can allow the dirt particles up into the mitt. With a sponge, the dirt is trapped between the sponge and paint surfaces.

The guide is written from a member ‘Dave KG’ over at CleanYourCar forums.

Pictures source: Dave KG from CleanYourCar Forums.

BMW 118D Wins World Green Car Of The Year Award

The BMW 118D Diesel has won the World Green Car Of The Year award at the New York International Auto Show 2008 thanks to BMW’s new Efficient Dynamics technology.

The BMW 118D offers buyers a range of fuel saving features including Electric Power Steering, Brake Energy Regeneration and Auto Start/Stop. Buyers will also take advantage of the reduced vehicle excise duty (Road Tax) as the low emissions of 119g/km take the 118D into tax band B - £35/year.

OTR On The Road price of the 118D is £18,880. Combined fuel consumption is 62.8 (52.3) mpg with a 0-62 mph in 9.0 seconds, top speed 130 mph. The two-litre turbo charged engine produces 143 bhp.

Testing Begins On Anti-Crash Technology

Researchers at the University of Michigan have now began testing of its Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety System or IVBSS.

The new anti-crash technology warns drivers if there is a risk of collision in situations such as entering or leaving a motorway or changing lanes. GPS, video and radar sensors on the system supply information to the computer that is processed into alerts for the driver.

The University of Michigan has been granted government funding of $25.2 million, with additional funding from Honda, Con-way, Eaton, Cognex, Navistar International, Visteon, Michigan Department of Transportation and The Battelle Memorial Institute. The project is a joint venture between the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.